As many as two-fifths of high school seniors are unprepared for either college or the workplace, according to a new study cited by The Washington Post.

The study, titled The Underserved Third: How Our Educational Structures Populate an Educational Underclass, suggests that despite more college placement classes being introduced, not enough high school students are taking them, and many who do fail to achieve the standards necessary to succeed in higher education or the workforce.

Co-authors Regina Deil-Amen from the Center for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Arizona and Stefanie DeLuca, a sociologist at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, also suggest that merely improving the number of students filling out college applications is not enough to address the problem.

"Simply sending more and more students to college will not change the types of jobs that dominate the economy through their sheer numbers, and a college-for-all ideology should not be expected to mask this reality," reads the report. "However, gaps in college attainment leave most youth unprepared for transitions to adulthood."

The results of the study highlight the importance of making sure you're ready for college. You should study as hard as you can and take advanced placement classes if they're available to give yourself the best possible chance to succeed.